Cage with micro filter top

ABSTRACT

A cage and cage cover combination having a cage cover having a plurality of stacking lugs on its upper surface, at least one stacking lug located in a middle region of the upper surface of the cover and at least one stacking lug located at a side region of the upper surface of the cover. The combination also includes an animal cage having a plurality of locating rings arranged in a middle region of its lower surface, where the at least one stacking lug located in the middle region of the upper surface of the cove is configured to couple with at least one locating ring of the lower surface of the animal cage and where the at least one stacking lug located at the side region of the upper surface of the cover is configured to match up to an lower edge of the bottom surface of the cage, such that when an animal cage is lowered onto the cage cover, the animal cage is securely retained on top of the cage cover.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 12/472,541, filed onMay 27, 2009 which claims the benefit of priority from U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 61/130,183, filed on May 28, 2008, the entiretyof which are incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

This application relates to animal cages and animal cage covers. Moreparticularly, this application relates to animal cages and animal cagecovers for improved stacking.

2. Background

In the area of animal cages and animal cage covers, such as transparentpolymer animal cages, frequent cleaning of the cages is required. Thecages need to be washed thoroughly to avoid possible experimentcontamination, while simultaneously being washed in high volume.

The animal cage cover, such as a micro filter top, when it is stored,washed or moved as a group, needs to stack without falling over, muststack straight on top of one another and must stack many layers high.Also, when washed, the covers are laid on a conveyor belt, which hasmany holes in it and the micro filter top can not have pieces that willprotrude into those holes.

Additionally, once the cages and covers have been cleaned, they need tobe stacked for transport. Also, during preparation of the cages, thecages with covers, may be arranged in stacks in a nearby staging area bya rack system, While stacked outside the rack, possibly partially filledwith food or even animals, the cage and cage cover assemblies must notslide or fall off of one another.

OBJECT AND SUMMARY

The animal cage and animal cage cover of the present applicationprovides an improved cover that allows for efficient stacking forcleaning purposes, Also, the combined cage cover and cage assembly issimultaneously independently stackable in a solid arrangement.

In one arrangement, the animal cage cover, when it is stored, washed ormoved as a group, stacks without falling over, stacks straight on top ofone another, and stacks many layers high. It is furthermore configuredso that it can be laid on a conveyor belt, which has many holes, withouthaving any pieces that protrude into those holes.

To this end a cage and cage cover combination has a cage cover having aplurality of stacking lugs and an animal cage having a lower surface.The upper surfaces of said stacking lugs, when in contact with the lowersurface of an animal cage form a substantially even connection such thata cage stacked on top of a cover rests securely on the cage cover.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The present invention can be best understood through the followingdescription and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an animal cage cover, accordingto one embodiment;

FIG. 2 illustrates a bottom perspective view of an animal cage cover,according to one embodiment;

FIG. 3A illustrates a perspective view of two stacked an cage coversfrom FIG. 1, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 3B illustrates the two stacked animal cage covers from FIG. 3Aalong the section A-A, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 3C illustrates the two stacked animal cage covers from FIG. 3Aalong the section B-B, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 3D illustrates the two stacked animal cage covers from FIG. 3Aalong the section D-D, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 3E illustrates the two stacked animal cage covers from FIG. 3Aalong the section C-C, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 4 illustrates a bottom perspective view of an animal cage,according to one embodiment; and

FIG. 5 illustrates a plurality of stacked animal cages and animal cagecovers, according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an animal cage cover 10,such as a micro-filter top, is shown. Animal cage cover 10 is typicallyconstructed as a clear polymer cover, however, it is not limited in thisrespect.

As shown in FIG. 1, animal cage cover 10 has a plurality of stackinglugs 12. The width and length of stacking lugs 12 are made so that theydo not fall within the openings on standard conveyor belts of theequipment used to wash micro filter tops. Typical conveyor belts have1″×1″ openings within a wire mesh conveyor belt. As such, stacking lugs12 are typically dimensioned with at least one measurement substantiallylonger than 1″.

The height of stacking lugs 12 are made so that an upper surface 14 oflug 12 is substantially the same height as upper vent surface 16 of cagecover vent 18. Many animal cage covers 10 maintain a vent 18 dimensionedto allow sufficient air flow within the animal cage. This vent 18 has araised surface 16 for supporting micro-filter items. However, vent 18,raised from the general surface of cover 10 causes it to have an un-evensurface.

It is noted that cover 10 may be configured alternatively without a vent18. In such an instance the area of vent 18 would be flat, possibly withseveral raised receivers 19 for mating with rails 52 as described indetail below. For the purposes of illustration, cage cover 10 isdescribed throughout as having a vent 18.

In the present arrangement, both lug surface 14 and vent surface 16 aresubstantially the same height, so when cover 10 is laid down on its topside, it lays down flat and parallel to the surface it is laid on.Thereafter, when multiple covers 10 are stacked on top of one another,the stack of cage covers 10 remains straight and stable for storage andtransport.

Stacking lugs 12 are preferably constructed as hollow oval rings to makeinjection molding it easier and faster.

In one arrangement as shown in FIG. 1, a slot 20 is dimensioned to runfrom lug surface 14 down to its base. Slot 20 is used so that incleaning, any water that may accumulate in that space has a channel toflow out and the space would not become a reservoir for holding waterwhich could lead to post wash unsanitary conditions.

In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, animal cage cover 10, on itsunderside surface has a plurality of mating lugs 22 and centering lugs30. In one arrangement, stacking lugs 12 and mating lugs 22 provide forthe proper height between two (or more) animal cage covers 10 on thisend of the micro filter vent 18.

As shown in FIGS. 3A-3E, when stacking animal cage covers 10, stackinglugs 12 on the upper surface of cage cover 10 sits against correspondingmating lugs 22 on the surface of those lugs 22. As shown in FIGS. 3A-D,the combination of the height of stacking lugs 12 and mating lugs 22substantially match up to the height of separate stacking tab 26 of onecover 10 and the top lower edge 28 of a separate cover 10.

These separate stacking tabs 26, in relation to lower edges 28 of aseparate covers 10 provide the proper stacking height on that end ofcovers 10. Thus, the combination of lugs 12/22 in addition to tabs26/edges 28, provides a parallel stacking height between multiple covers10 when they are stacked one on top of another as shown in FIG. 3A.

In another arrangement, each stacking lug 12 includes a centering lug 30that protrudes down into the inside space of stacking lug 12 andprovides interference if stacking lug 12 were to slide front to back orleft to right. See for example FIG. 3E. The shape of the cage covers 10are stacked one on top of another. They are easily self-centering andhave enough clearance so that they do not stick together, which wouldmake it hard to pull them apart.

In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, an animal cage 50 is shownhaving both bottom rails 52 for sliding into and out of cage assemblies,and locating rings 54.

As noted above, in use, many times the cage assemblies (cage 50 andcover 10) are pulled off of a rack or shelf and are stacked one aboveanother as an assembled unit. Then cages 50 and covers 10 are eitherstored on a table awaiting use or put onto carts and moved to differentrooms. In either case, once they are stacked they cannot slide. In someinstances there may be animals inside these cages 50 and if they slideand fall, the animals may get loose or hurt or there could becontaminated bedding, which would fall out and contaminate worksurfaces, people and animals. The present invention improves thatstability.

The arrangement of locating ring 54 molded on the bottom of cage 50 issuch that cage 50 can be positioned from either direction with locatingrings 54 matching to corresponding stacking lug 12 on covers 10 from thecage 50 located below.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5, locating ring 54 matches up with thecenter-stacking lug 12 on cover 10. As cage 50 sits on top of cover 10from cage 50 below, locating ring 54 goes around stacking lug 12 andholds it in that position from moving front to back or left and right.The design of the locating ring 54 is made so that it smoothly sits downon that stacking lug 12 and so that it is easily pulled off of it.

In addition to locating ring 54 corresponding in location to a centerstacking lug 12, the side stacking lugs 12 also match up to the edges ofthe bottom of cage 50. For example, the two side stacking lugs 12, asshown in FIGS. 1 and 2, are designed to match up with the corners of thecage 50 bottom, as shown in FIG. 5, at location 60. The two sidestacking lugs 12 come up slightly above the bottom of cage 50 on itscorners.

In one embodiment, stacking lug 12 located in the center is slightlyshorter than the two outside lugs 12, so that the outside corners ofcage 50 from a cage 50 located above, contacts the corner radius of thatcage 50.

In this arrangement, the three stacking lugs 12 work together, with thecenter lug 12 height setting the cage assembly stacking height at itslocation in the front of cage 50 to match the stacking height at theback of the cage at surface 16 of vent 18. The two outside stacking lugs12 heights and positions are such that to contact the cage 50 bottomradii at the same time center lug 12 contacts the cage 50 bottom surfaceat locating ring 54. The two outside stacking lugs 50 come in contactwith the bottom radii of cage 50 at a location above the radii tangentpoint radii on the bottom surface of cage 50. Such an arrangement helpskeep the side-to-side stacking stability better.

It is noted that maintaining three stacking lugs 12 in a row and atsubstantially the same height relative to one another is hard to do withplastics and different shrinking rates during manufacture. In thepresent arrangement, by keeping the center stacking lug 12 slightlylower the processing of cage cover 10 is made easier.

In another embodiment as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, bottom rails 52 of cage50 are configured to slide-fit within three receivers 19, on animalcage, covers 10 on the side opposite stacking lugs 12, near surface 16of vent 18. As the cage assemblies (10/50) are stacked one aboveanother, the rails 52 of the bottom of cage 50 mate with receivers 19,preferably in two or three (as illustrated) separate sections across thewidth of cage cover 10 in order to provide more stacking stability.

While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes orequivalents will now occur to those skilled in the art. It is therefore,to be understood that this application is intended to cover all suchmodifications and changes that fall within the true spirit of theinvention.

1. A cage and cage cover combination, said combination comprising: acage cover having a plurality of stacking lugs on its upper surface, atleast one stacking lug located in a middle region of said upper surfaceof said cover and at least one stacking lug located at a side region ofsaid upper surface of said cover; and said combination also comprising:an animal cage having a plurality of locating rings arranged in a middleregion of its lower surface, wherein the at least one stacking luglocated in said middle region of said upper surface of said cover isconfigured to couple with at least one locating ring of said lowersurface of said animal cage and wherein said at least one stacking luglocated at said side region of said upper surface of said cover isconfigured to match up to an lower edge of said bottom surface of saidcage, such that when an animal cage is lowered onto said cage cover,said animal cage is securely retained on top of said cage cover.
 2. Thecage and cage cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cage coverincludes a vent.
 3. The cage and cage cover as claimed in claim 1,wherein said stacking lugs have a slot configured to prevent water fromaccumulating in said cover during cleaning.
 4. The cage and cage coveras claimed in claim 1, wherein said cage cover includes a plurality ofstacking tabs configured to align with a top lower edge of a second cagecover stacked on top of a first cage cover.
 5. The cage and cage coveras claimed in claim 2, wherein said stacking lugs are configured to setsaid cage stacking height at its location in the front of said cagecover to match the stacking height at the back of said cage cover nearsaid vent.